Walter Nunez is the executive chef at The Rex Seaside Steakhouse, a brand-new restaurant in Los Angeles’s South Bay. There, Nunez executes a modern Californian take on classic steakhouse favorites and embodies coastal lifestyle. Learn about Walter Nunez…
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
First job: Bono’s Restaurant in Long Beach, California.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in CA: Free time? What free time? Ha! I love finding new camping spots and cooking actual food over a campfire. Not your typical burgers and hot dogs, but don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat those too.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: Opening The Rex has been a labor of love. Not only is it my first restaurant, but we also opened at the height of the pandemic. Despite our challenges, we’ve surpassed all our expectations within the first year and feel so much support from our local community.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: Losing my dad shortly after I took on the development of The Rex. I was thrilled and hit the ground running to then hit a wall. I was devastated by his sudden passing and lost sight of my passion for food. That said, building The Rex from the ground up gave me purpose to keep pushing forward.
Someone who inspires you and why: Definitely both of my parents, but if I have to choose one, I’d have to say my mom. She’s always been able to make anything happen no matter what the obstacles.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Be open to constantly learning and take every opportunity to listen and ask questions.
Favorite quote: “Nothing worth having in life comes easy.”
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: Anything but papaya.
What makes someone fabulous: Their knowledge about things that I’d like to learn or experience.